Collapsible ladder, double ladder, and stepladder



Feb. 23, 1954 E. SANGUINETI COLLAPSIBLE LADDER, DOUBLE LADDER. AND STEPLADDER Filed May 12, 1950 mam:

7 5431121 SAflsulm-ffl Patented Feb. 23, 1954 v 7 23670420 a p cotter-sinus QA DDER, DOUBLE. :LADDER,

AND STEPLADDER. Eifiamx'eld Sdnguine'ti; Genoa; Italy .s t aa ntan, 1950, -seri'a1. No.1is1 ,543i: Ciaims'priorftmappficationItalyMay16; 19.49

12 claims. (01.228-37) and thus are easily transportable and"occ'upy very little place when'stored Simple collapsible ladders .are known, but they .are generally constitutedtby. a -.pair of tuprights connected together byhinged .r-ungs. These ladders do not generally possessla great stability, are generally not self-supporting and, when in collapsed position, the ends of the two uprights lie at different heights, so that the uprights must be tied together, as otherwise the collapsed ladder, if stored in substantially upright position, tends to open.

The main object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the known collapsible ladders by making the steps or rungs in two parts hinged together in a central position and by providing means for stiffening and staying the rungs in opened or service position.

Another object of the invention is to employ the above collapsible ladder for constructing double ladders and stepladders of very rugged construction and very compact when collapsed.

The invention will be better understood by the following specification of an embodiment of collapsible stepladder according to the invention, said stepladder being shown in the annexed drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a collapsible stepladder in opened position, ready for use;

Figures 2 and 3 show in perspective and enlarged some details of a ladder forming part of the stepladder shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional elevational view of a collapsed stepladder taken on line IV--IV of Figure 5 and Figure 5 is a cross sectional plan view of the collapsed stepladder, taken on line VV of Figure 4.

The collapsible ladder shown in the drawings comprises a pair of angle-shaped uprights I ll I connected together by rungs made of two pieces |4|4 hinged together at l5 and to the uprights |lll as at 25-45.

The rung sections are so connected together and to the ladder uprights as to permit their angular shifting only in one direction and until their upper or step faces come to be substantially at right angles to the uprights and in line with the other rung section, but not beyond that position. This end is attained both by providing 2.1: rung halves by the hinge min :1 5 and 'bycutting the "endsu'of the rungs :substantially .at. right -en'- gles, :as shown in-Figure 2 tand hingingsame. as by leaf hinges 25-2-5 '1t0 the .'uprights.:

.In :order to .stiffen:the.:connection betweenrthe rung halves and the :uprights; tie rods onl'braces 2! are hinged by one end to an" intermediate part 29 :of :each of the Lrung shalVeSaS-M or ;l'4' while the other end is lhingedttouanzranglezplate 22 welded or otherwise E-secured-towa:bar'23 slid ably mounted in a groove zli providedstin eaoh ofthe ladder uprights il t e-"t l" zand closeduat the lower end by an abutmen tgfilate HifiBar-sflthre held within the grooves by the leaf of the hinges 25 or 25' which is fastened to the ladder uprights.

The just described construction constitutes a rugged collapsible simple ladder.

This may be employed also for constructing a stepladder like that shown in Figure 1. When such a stepladder should be constructed, to the upper end of the upright pair ll-l I a pair of angle-shaped props l2-l2' is hinged as at I3. Props l2l2' are connected together by cross braces l6l6' hinged by one end, as shown at H, to props I2I2' and together in the middle as at 11, while the other end is provided with slots l8 engaging guide pins 19 fastened to bracket plates 20 fitted to props l2 and I2. Uprights Hl I and props l2--l2' are tied together by four equal chain lengths anchored to a central ring 26, as shown.

When the step ladder is in closed position, the parts assume the position as shown in Figures 4 and 5 and the whole stepladder resembles a short square post. When the parts lll2 and Il'-l2' are pulled apart and then turned about the upper hinges l3, until this is permitted by the chains tying the parts II, II, I2 and I2 together, the ladder assumes the position shown in Figure 1. In this position, bars 23 shifted by tie rods 2| hinged to the rung sections abut with their ends against their respective abutment member 28, and thus through rods 2| stiffen the rung sections which thus are able to securely support the weight for which they are designed.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a collapsible step ladder has been provided which is very rugged in construction and very compact in 3 a set of rungs made of hinged halves l4--Il' and annexed parts, a double ladder result.

The ladder may be constructed of wood, metal or other suitable material.

I claim:

1. A collapsible step ladder comprising in combination a pair; of ladder uprights having an angle section; each upright being formed with .a longitudinal groove, bars slidably mounted within said grooves, means for limiting the sliding of said bars within said grooves; rung sections hinged at like intervals to eachof said uprights, means for hinging the rung sections hinged to one of the uprights to the corresponding rung section of the companion upright of the pair, means for limiting the angular movement-of the rung sections from a position adjacent tetherespective uprights in upward direction to a position substantially at right angles to the uprights, tie rods attached by one of their ends to said slidable bars and by theirother end to a'rung section, a prop having an anglesection hinged atthe top end of each of the ladder uprights, a pair-oi cross tie bars hinged together at their middle andto the props at one oftheirends, longitudinal slots in the other ends of said cross tie bars, bracket plates fastened near the top ends of said props, pins fastened to said bracket plates and engaging the slots at the ends of the cross tie bars; and flexible tie means connecting the uprights and props near their lower ends so as to prevent excessive swinging apart of the hinged ladder uprights and props;

4 2. A collapsible ladder, comprising incombination, a pair of uprights, each of said uprights formed with a longitudinal groove; rung sections hinged to each of said uprights and adapted to rotate from a position at right angles to said uprights to an upwardly extending position ad- Jacent to the upright to which it is hinged; means hinging togethereachrung section attached to one upright to the corresponding rung section attached to the other upright; bars slidably mounted within said grooves in said uprights; a plurality oftie'rods, each of said tie rods hinged at one end to a rung section and at the other endto one oi said bars; abutment means blocking downward sliding of said bars in said grooves when the samereach a position in which said rung sections are supported in a horizontal position by said tie rods.

EMANUELE SANGUINETI.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name I Date 1,108,896 Garraway Sept. 1, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 60,737 Switzerland Oct. 10, 1912 194,749 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1923 96,882 Sweden Sept. 19, 1939 

